


Crait

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, Gen, Senses, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-05 11:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13387077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: As places to make a last stand went, Crait could have been better, but also could have been worse.





	Crait

**Author's Note:**

> For the 1MW all senses challenge.

As places to make a last stand went, Crait could have been better, but also could have been worse. The smell of salt filled the air, turning to brine in your mouth. Underneath it all was the harsh tang of the red iron ore that lay beneath. It was almost like the planet was a person, iron like blood underneath and salty tears above.

If it was a person, it was one who had long ago been abandoned. Finn didn’t have much experience with other planets - having spent most of his life on ships - but the few he had seen had all had more life to them than this one. Even Jakku, while in the middle of nowhere, was still teeming with life. Other than the crystal critters, Crait might as well be dead.

But there were advantages, to Finn’s trained eye. No one could sneak up on them without disturbing the fine salt layer and leaving a tell-tale red trail behind. The rebels were in an impregnable stronghold, with the better position. Crait’s turbulent outer atmosphere meant that the remaining Star Destroyers couldn’t get close enough to fire on the surface; only the smaller landing craft, transport shuttles, and fighters could make it. If the base held even halfway decent munitions and ships, then the rebels stood a chance.

Every step they took through the dusty, long abandoned corridors of the rebel base echoed into the darkness, to meet somewhere with the crystalline tinkling of their companions. Nervous conversation soon bubbled up, replacing the haunting, echoing silence. The wind whistled through the doors as they were opened, letting in brief glimpses of the too bright sunlight from above.

Finn knew from experience that the sun would reflect off of a light surface, and the salty crust of this planet was as light as you could get. Soon the light out there would be blinding, with heat to match. The cavernous base was cool, for now, but would that last? It was clear to see why this place had been built into the rock; and not just for the security it offered.

The First Order had always had better fleets and equipment than the rebels, but even with that caveat, the equipment in Crait was pathetic. What wasn’t a rusted hulk was partially disassembled. The gun turrets were locked up from disuse, and ammo was in short supply. Really, they wouldn’t be able to put up much of a resistance at all.

But still, Finn had hope. He knew that they were sending out a signal to all the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Then, help would arrive. Crait was not going to be their final resting place; he was sure of that. He had to be, or he would have to again fear that he was allowing Rey to return to a deadly trap.

He might be half-blinded by the reflected sun, with salt in his nose and the taste of rust in his mouth, hands clutching the worn out gears of his skimmer while crystalline critters laughed at him, but Finn was going to clear the way for Rey. And when he looked at it that way, Crait was a fine place to be.


End file.
